3 year old DD has just had a wild tantrum precipitated by her desperate desire for control and my refusal to oblige her.
As usual, I just left her to get on with it and went and made dinner while she screamed and shouted upstairs. I figured she's safe and she'll eventually tire herself out and come downstairs.
Dinner's now ready (and going cold as I type) and so I went to fetch her (tantrum has lasted about 15 minutes.)
Papers, books, bedsheets, toys, towels, shampoo, all strewn all over the rooms and up and down the stairs. I'm tired and have a cold and it's going to take at least an hour to clear it all up again. I feel defeated by the mess.
Should I punish her and if so how, or should I accept that this behaviour is a challenging part of a tantrum?
(That word challenging - it always sounds like such an understatement, doesn't it!)